Where to Eat in Washington DC: Best Restaurants & Food Scenes

Washington DC's restaurant scene has undergone a remarkable transformation in the past decade, evolving from a power-lunch town into a genuine culinary destination with more James Beard Award winners and Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than most American cities. José Andrés — who operates multiple DC restaurants including Zaytinya and Jaleo — is the city's most influential culinary figure, having almost single-handedly elevated its food profile. The Penn Quarter and Shaw neighbourhoods anchor the fine dining scene. For an authentic DC experience: the half-smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street (a Washington institution since 1958), Chesapeake Bay blue crabs at Old Ebbitt Grill, and Ethiopian injera at any of the dozen excellent Ethiopians on 18th Street in Adams Morgan. The Wharf development on the Southwest waterfront has added a cluster of excellent restaurants with waterfront terraces. The Union Market hall in NoMa hosts 40+ vendors and has become the city's most exciting food destination.